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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26532493">Now I Know Why</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HMSquared/pseuds/HMSquared'>HMSquared</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Apex Legends (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, But I'm not writing him any other way, Cancer, Crying, Crypto is probably way OOC, Death, Gen, Gift Fic, Inspired by Real Events, Not about this, Sad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:53:50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>376</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26532493</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HMSquared/pseuds/HMSquared</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For the past year, Mirage has been off. A week after his disappearance, Crypto finds out why.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Crypto | Park Tae Joon &amp; Mirage | Elliott Witt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Now I Know Why</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A close friend of mine recently lost his dad to cancer. I know he'll never see this, but I wanted to write something in his honor.</p><p>A lot of Crypto's thoughts and feelings in this are mine. Even if I knew what my friend was thinking, I'm trying to respect his privacy as much as I can. So for Mirage, I used what one of my other friends has said about his current state.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Crypto stood on the dropship, watching the clock. They were leaving in ten minutes and Mirage still wasn’t around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d been gone for a week. No one knew why, and no one asked. That was sort of an unspoken rule between the Legends: unless someone reveals one of their secrets, don’t ask questions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still nothing?” Wraith whispered as the hacker checked his phone. Crypto shook his head. He was worried. No, that wasn’t the right word. He was terrified.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mirage had been...off lately. Snippier, more stressed out, quieter at times. And Crypto could only think of one reason: depression. He’d been through it himself, he knew the signs.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Please don’t be dead</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought. The klaxon beeped and the ship took off. Crypto kept Mirage in the back of his mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He, Wraith, and Lifeline won their match. They stumbled back to the ship, exhausted but happy. Then Lifeline’s phone buzzed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I wonder…” She trailed off. Her expression turned to one of sadness and horror. Crypto felt his blood go cold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Lifeline looked at him. Wraith saw her expression and blanched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go to the hospital, Crypto.” The humor in the doctor’s voice was gone. Swallowing, Crypto went to find another ride.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Mirage was sitting on a bench in the hall. His head was between his knees, small tears streaming down his face. He was silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crypto slowed to a walk, unsure what to say or do. He didn’t want to disturb Mirage’s privacy, but at the same time…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I help you?” The nurse was an older brunette. Crypto nodded, thinking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have any patients with the last name Witt?” The nurse’s face fell. She gestured to Mirage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should ask him.” Fearing the worst, Crypto thanked her and walked over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mirage looked up at his arrival. His eyes were red, his cheeks puffy. He remained silent, then two words escaped his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom’s gone.” Crypto’s heart leaped into his throat. He motioned to the bench; Mirage nodded, wiping away a tear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Cancer.” Mirage looked at a room down the hall and swallowed. “I’ve known for a while, I just…” He shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Crypto remained silent. They sat there until the hospital closed, quietly looking at the floor.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Is it weird that I wrote and posted this?</p></blockquote></div></div>
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